Adult entertainment (it’s not what you think)

Monday, March 24th, 2014 - Roy Morgan Research

What’s your idea of a good time? Hitting the town for a night of wining, dining and clubbing? Relaxing in the plush confines of your lounge room, with some takeaway and a state-of-the-art home-entertainment system at your command? Or a cheap’n’cheerful pub dinner followed by a round of pokies? The average Australian adult spends $132 per week on entertainment, but naturally this figure can vary greatly depending on how they choose to entertain themselves.

According to the latest results from Roy Morgan Research, the lion’s share of our average weekly spend on entertainment last year went on going out ($71), followed by home entertainment ($47) and gambling ($15). No real surprises there, but a closer look at different segments of the population reveals some interesting variations.

Far from average

Roy Morgan Research’s new profiling tool Helix Personas casts a detailed light on Australians’ entertainment spending habits, revealing a different side to the story told by the national average figures. As expected, people from the well-off, successfulSmart Money segment spend much more on entertainment than the average Aussie – almost $250 per week, in fact. While their gambling spend is close to average, they spend nearly $125 a week on entertainment at home – more than 2.5 times’ the national average.

Average weekly leisure and entertainment spend by Australians 18+

Racking up the highest weekly gambling spend by far ($66) are high-income, high-living Young & Platinum individuals, who also spend well over the national average on going out ($114) – although not as much as Social Flyers ($149), whose whirlwind social schedules would make anyone else tired just contemplating them!

Weighing in almost bang on average for weekly entertainment expenditure are Domestic Jugglers — family-focused, financially sensible members of ‘middle Australia’. Older, rural and often retired (and living on their pensions), Rural Traditionalists have elevated thriftiness to an art form, spending well below the national average on gambling ($9), going out ($49) and home entertainment ($27). Their suburban counterparts, Twilighters, are similarly budget-conscious, with one key exception: they spend almost three times the national average on gambling per week.

Young, well-educated and multicultural, New Beginnings individuals may not earn much money (yet), but they’re confident consumers who like to enjoy life — which translates into an above-average weekly spend on entertainment.

“While the average Australian spends $132 on entertainment per week, many Australians are anything but average in this respect. Older, less affluent members of society, such as those belonging to the Rural Traditionalist persona, are used to budgeting and generally spend less than average, while younger, more confident groups such as Social Flyers or New Beginnings tend to spend more.

“Established and financially secure, Smart Money see no reason to deny themselves any form of entertainment that takes their fancy, but aren’t especially interested in gambling – why rely on Lady Luck when you’ve made your own, after all?

“Meanwhile, cash-strapped Twilighters spend more on gambling than they do on home entertainment, possibly in the (understandable) hope of some security in their later years. Young & Platinum also over-index on gambling spend, although not for the same reasons. Their penchant for a flutter is more consistent with their overall determination to live life to the fullest.

“Entertainment covers a broad spectrum, with a person’s budget, circumstances and preferences influencing what kind of entertainment they go for. By identifying different sectors of the Australian population and understanding their respective entertainment priorities, marketers stand a greater chance of reaching the most receptive audience with their offering.”

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Roy Morgan Research

Roy Morgan Research is Australia's best known and longest established market research and public opinion survey company. Roy Morgan Single Source is thorough, accurate, and provides comprehensive, directly applicable information about current and future customers. It is unique in that it directs all the questions to each individual from a base survey sample of around 55,000 interviews in Australia and 15,000 interviews in New Zealand annually - the largest Single Source databases in the world. The questions asked relate to lifestyle and attitudes, media consumption habits (including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, catalogues, pay TV and the Internet), brand and product usage, purchase intentions, retail visitations, service provider preferences, financial information and recreation and leisure activities. This lead product is supported by a nationally networked, consultancy-orientated market research capability.Samantha Wilson P: (03) 9224 5268W:www.roymorgan.com